Removing drm on purchased songs

Did you buy the music from the iTunes Store?

Or did you download "offline listening" copies from Apple Music? Apple Music is a streaming subscription service where you are basically renting access to music. Offline listening copies of Apple Music songs have DRM.

Note that the iTunes Store and Apple Music are different things, even though

• Apple runs both
• You use the iTunes application to access both (on older versions of macOS, and on PCs)
• You use the Music application to access both (on newer versions of macOS)

Hi,

If you purchased the songs from iTunes Store prior to 2009, you can burn them to disc then reimport as MP3.

It is possible to upgrade 128 Kbps to 256 Kbps using iTunes Match Subscribe to iTunes Match – Apple Support (UK) or Apple Music subscription.

Jim

sojeles wrote:

yes i bought it. I understand the difference, thanks

If you bought songs – audio tracks, not music videos – from the iTunes Store any time recently, and there is DRM on them, there is something wrong. Contact Apple.

iTunes - Official Apple Support

Songs that you buy from the iTunes Store will have embedded information identifying you as the purchaser – but that information, per se, should not prevent you from playing songs on any device you own, including non-Apple devices that implement the AAC standard.

Where did you purchase and download this music?

Music purchased from the iTunes Store has not had DRM for a very long time. It was back in January 2009 when Apple announced that they would be eliminating DRM from all iTunes Store music tracks, and upgrading new files from 128 Kbps AAC to 256 Kbps AAC.

If you purchase music on CDs and convert it to AAC using the iTunes or Music applications, that purchased music will be DRM-free.

On the other hand, music videos, movies, and TV shows purchased from the iTunes Store usually are encumbered with DRM. As are offline listening copies of Apple Music (subscription streaming service) songs.